Friday, May 4, 2012

Although he probably had someone write this out for him and was coached on what to say, Young appeared to be emotional at times but contrite about his misgivings. Young didn't point fingers or try to blame anyone else. He placed the blame at his feet. He couldn't speak on anything case related, but I get the feeling that he'll get off light.

"I put myself in a bad situation and have no one to blame but myself. I'm currently getting treatment in an alcohol program through Major League Baseball," he said. "I just want to let people know that I'm not all the things that are saying about me. I made a lapse in judgment, but I can tell you that I am not an anti-Semitic.

"I wasn't raised that way. I come from a good family

"I hope that through the treatment program, I'll get all the help I need to come back and be a great teammate and successful baseball player in the Tigers' organization.

"I'll let my action from here on out take care of itself."

"With the job we have, everything is going to be public whether it's good or bad," said Young, 26. "It comes with the territory of being a professional athlete.

"I hope that after a while that people will see the person who's being portrayed isn't who I am. But I know it's going to take a while. You don't convince anyone with one speech."

Hoge has been outspoken on the issue of concussions and head injuries after his career was cut short and he successfully sued the Chicago Bears for the way he was treated for the concussions. Hoge took umbrage to Warner's comments since the concussion issue has created a firestorm of controversy when it comes to parents letting their kids play football. Hoge called Warner's comments "uneducated and irresponsible".

“I think it’s irresponsible and unacceptable,” Hoge said of Warner suggesting that football is a dangerous game for children. “He has thrown the game that has been so good to him under the bus. He sounds extremely uneducated.”

“Head trauma is not the issue here — it’s how head trauma is treated,” Hoge said. “The game is safer than it has ever been because we’re being proactive with head trauma. That is the biggest issue.”

“I can’t believe that he would share that message because now moms and dads that are out there, and Billy wants to play, but they are uneducated and they are unsure, and they love Kurt Warner, they’re like, ‘He doesn’t want his kids to play? Why should I let my kids play?’”

I guess what Warner should've said was that the game of football was good to me but the league should be taking better care of their players. We make the league a lot of money and we deserve to be treated better, because at the rate players are getting head injuries there won't be an NFL.

I wouldn't call Warner irresponsible and uneducated, he just had a bad choice of words. He probably would tell his kids the risk of long term injury if they decide to partake in the sport of football.

When I think of Greg Skrepenak I remember him being the first of the massive offensive lineman. I remember the All-American career at the University of Michigan and a so so NFL career. I guess because of his Michigan education, Skrepenak carved out a respectable living outside of the football world. What little do we know about athletes off the field.

Skrepenak's prison term officially ends June 12, followed by three years of probation. Skrepenak, formerly of Jenkins Township, was given a two-year sentence for his guilty plea to accepting a $5,000 kickback as a reward for supporting a real estate developer's entry into a program to delay payment of taxes on the project.

There are no specifics as to why he was sent back to the halfway house, but it's believed that it wasn't due to any behavioral problems that led to the decision.